This development pertains to the art of connectors and more particularly cable termination devices.
The concept involved is particularly applicable to use as a contraction termination or terminal end fitting in connection with electrical conductor cable or the like encased in a sheathed braided synthetic material and will be described with particular reference thereto. Cables of this general type and with which the subject invention finds advantageous application are used particularly in undersea applications such as when an electronic monitoring array is towed through the ocean by a surface vessel. Electrical monitoring arrays of many types are used for security and defense purposes as well as undersea research. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention has broader applications and uses in other environments which utilize sheathed braided cable or the like.
Heretofore, there has been considerable difficulty experienced in providing terminal fittings for sheathed braided cables. These difficulties stemmed from the fact that prior termination or terminal end fitting designs were rather complicated so that field installation and use thereof was made rather difficult and ineffective. Indeed, and in many situations, field installation was impossible. Such prior end fittings were also fairly expensive. Many prior designs employed external means for exerting compressive stresses on the cable elements in order to retain the cable in position on the termination device. However, the compressive stresses thus exerted resulted in an undesirable lessening of cable strength and reliability.
Moreover, many prior termination or terminal end fittings were such that the basic components were not universally applicable to thereby necessitate separate component designs for accommodating the specifics of different cable configurations as well as the specifics of different arrays in connection with which they were used. Thus, it was necessary to stock any number of different termination or terminal end fitting designs for accommodating different cable applications and installations in the field.
Accordingly, it has been desired to provide a contraction termination or terminal end fitting which overcomes the above noted problems. The subject device meets this need and provides a contraction termination device and method which are simple in design, inexpensive, easy to use and install in the field, provide a termination connection which is substantially as strong as the cable itself, does not exert destructive compressive forces on the cable elements and which facilitate use in conjunction with many and varied cable installations.